The Coppell City Council accepted the “Target National Night Out 2011 Award” first place trophy from the Coppell Police Department on Tuesday. The award was given to Coppell by Town Watch for being selected as the best program in the country in its designated population category.

This year, the city held 59 block parties in neighborhoods across Coppell.  2011 marks the 20^th year that Coppell has receives this top honor for its National Night Out (NNO) program.

In other important Coppell news, current mayor Doug Stover will not be seeking reelection May, stating that his required  travel as a business man has begun to interfere with his work as mayor. Stover took over the late Mayor Peters position after her unexpected death and had served two terms before her tenure.

For many, the holidays mark a season filled with celebration, cheer and family. However, for many people, holidays are a tough reminder of how hard it can be to make ends meet financially.

Because of this, it has become a repeating trend that theft increases dramatically during the holidays. Not only are people trying to provide for themselves and their families, commercial spending leads to more people carrying around nicer things.

Let this serve as a reminder to follow the national campaign “Hide, Lock, Take“. This campaign reminds drivers to hide their belongings in their car to where they aren’t visible through windows, lock their car and take their keys with them. Police claim that this can decrease the likliehood of a break-in.

This holiday season, also keep a close eye on the things in your home. Around Coppell, various things are being stolen from yards and garages more than any other time of the year. Sophomore Caroline Overman experienced the issue first hand.

“We noticed our mail wasn’t in the box, and then we found it in our trash with some of our other neighbors [mail],” Overman said. “Christmas cards were torn open and looked through. We think this is because theives were looking for cash or gift cards.”

In response to the issue, the Coppell Police force is doubling its efforts this season to combat these issues along with possible DWI increases. Remember to keep safe this holiday season!

A look around the student parking lot reveals many students sport Jeeps, trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. While many seldom use their car for anything other than day-to-day driving, there are some who enjoy taking them off-roading to push their vehicle to the limit.

Graphic by Brian Hwu.

Most are unaware that, especially in one of the more popular locations for off-roading in Coppell, the practice is not only dangerous – it’s illegal.

At the u-turn bridge under State Highway 121 near N. Coppell Road, one can often see a Jeep bouncing around the terrain. However, the location is private property and anyone caught on the property, both the driver and passengers, can be charged with criminal trespassing.

Coppell Police Department (CPD) Assistant Chief of Police Gary Nix said the practice itself is not unlawful, but it becomes a problem when one does it on private property.

“Just like riding go-karts or dirt biking, you have to have permission from the property owner before you can go off-roading,” Nix said. “Off-roading itself isn’t illegal; the problem comes when people think its OK to start driving on private property.”

Nix said that anyone caught on the property could potentially be charged with criminal trespassing.

“This is being enforced by patrols, as well as responses to calls we have about people driving on private property,” Nix said.

According to the Texas penal code, a criminal trespass charge is a Class B misdemeanor, which can be punishable with up to a $2,000 fine and/or 180 days in jail.

A student at Coppell High School, who asked to be left anonymous, regularly took his Jeep to the 121 location until the police were called.

“We didn’t realize it was private property or that we were illegally trespassing. I didn’t see any signs, or at least didn’t remember seeing any,” the student said.

He considers himself lucky he got off easy, and hasn’t since gone off-roading anywhere besides his own property.

“Thankfully, I only received a warning, but it could have gone much worse. The only times I ever go off-roading now are on my ranch,” the student said.

He offers a piece of advice to anyone else who often goes off-roading.

“Off-roading [on private property] isn’t worth it, you could get in a lot of trouble. If you don’t have access to a ranch or anything, there are some off-roading courses in the area,” the student said.

An area farmer from the Future Farmers of America (FFA), who wanted his name left out because he “is speaking not only on my behalf, but on the behalf of all farmers and land owners in the area,” says the issue hasn’t been a real problem until recently when off-roaders and their parents have become more involved in the situation.

“I’ve been a farmer in the Coppell area since 1994, and [off-roading] has been an ongoing issue for as long as I can remember,” the farmer said. “Kids have always decided to go off roading, and because property owners never did say anything to anybody, it wasn’t a big deal for a long time.”

The issue, according to the farmer, has grown after the parent of one driver who got injured while off-roading sued the property owner.

“In the last five or six years, it has grown into a bit of a controversy. A kid went off-roading, got hurt, and the land owner got sued by the kid’s parents,” the farmer said. “Since then, most property owners have tried to stop everyone from being on their property, and have asked the [police department] to start enforcing to stop off-roading.”

The problem also lays with the off-roaders themselves and their behavior when they are caught on private property.

“Most of the time, I’ll walk up to them, ask who they are, what they’re doing, who gave them permission, general questions like that. If they are being nice and cooperative, I’ll usually tell them to not come back and let them go,” the landowner said.

When the trespassers aren’t cooperative, however, is when he gets the law involved.

“It’s the ones who are argumentative – the smart alecks – that I don’t want to deal with,” the landowner said. “At that point, I’ll call in law enforcement, take their IDs to give to the officers, and they could end up with a ticket – I call it kids having fun, the police department calls it criminal trespassing.”

A common misconception is that the off-roaders aren’t guilty of trespassing if there are no posted signs warning people to stay off of a property. At the 121/Coppell Road location, there have been multiple attempts to put up signs, but they are often immediately removed.

“We can’t keep the signs there. People take them down as soon as they go up,” the landowner said. “The thing is, we aren’t legally required to even have signs posted. If it isn’t your property, you have no legal right to leave the road and be there.”

The ultimate goal is to stop off-roading, but that may never come to fruition. He says land owners and farmers don’t feel like it is their responsibility to pay to keep people off of their property

“In the areas where enforcement has gone up with the police department patrols, it has really helped to slow down the off-roading,” the landowner said. “It will never be stopped unless landowners put up fences, and most don’t have the money or don’t want to pay for fences to be put in place.”

He says that they don’t want those caught to get into trouble, just to be cooperative and to put a stop to the trespassing.

“We don’t want you in trouble. Be polite and courteous and we’ll help you out; tell your friends, just please stay off.”

Editor’s note: This blog has been updated as it originally incorrectly identified Nicolas Morehart as a Coppell High School student.

Nicholas Morehart, 17, of Coppell was arrested Friday in connection for more than 50 counts of vandalism, U.S. flag burnings and criminal mischief. After trying to evade arrest, Morehart was caught in a foot pursuit at about 3:30 a.m. as he walked on the 700 block of Allen Road.

Morehart was charged with evading arrest, two counts of destruction of a flag (misdemeanors) and one charge of criminal mischief that totaled over $20,000, a third degree felony. In one instance of flag burning, the fire reached an out of control point and started a large fire in the lawn of a Coppell resident.

Morehart is in custody.

As Coppell prepares for the 20^th celebration of National Night Out (NNO) in October, the organization has begun to gear up for their participation in local events. From St. Ann Carnival to the annual homecoming parade, NNO uses widely attended events to spread the word about what they consider to be the best social event of the year.

“National Night Out is probably one of the most important events that the City annually hosts,” Coppell Community Information Officer Sharon Logan said. “Coppell residents really care about each other and they care about their community.  This event encourages and fosters that hometown feel by bringing neighbors together for a dual purpose, fighting crime and looking out for one another.”

The NNO aims to bring neighbors together, strengthen neighborhood spirit and generate participation in anti-crime programs. Coppell’s NNO has grown from just a few block parties in 1991 to 49 parties in 2010. Since winning the “Rookie” award in 1991, the National Association of Town Watch has recognized Coppell with an ‘Outstanding Participation Award’ every year. Thirty-five block parties are already signed up to participate this year.

“We do an excellent job with National Night Out,” Coppell Police Officer Richard Harr said. “With a city of our size, about 40,000, we have about 50 block parties a year. When you break that down, it’s about one block party for every 800 people. That’s incredible when you think about it.”

NNO Block Parties are described by the Coppell Police Department as the “cornerstone” of National Night Out. Each participating neighborhood can compete for the “2011 Block Party Winner” street sign, which will remain on display within the neighborhood. The Coppell Police Department, Fire Department, McGruff the crime dog, the NNO Knight, City Council members and Mayor Doug Stover will visit the block parties from 6 – 8 p.m.

“It is important for people to get to know each other, because you can develop better relationships in your community,” CHS School Resource Officer Ricky Jimenez said. “This helps to deter crime, help others in need and to have a better working relationship with community members.”

In addition to encouraging people to go out and meet their neighbors, CPD uses the block parties as a way to introduce neighborhood crime watch programs.

“It’s about getting to know people, starting a crime watch and getting involved,” Harr said. “We want to get back to a time where everyone knew everyone, and people could tell us when things are slightly off. When something happens in a neighborhood, we want to be able to talk to neighbors, and we want them to know what’s going on.”

Apart from the block parties, NNO is involved in many other community activities. The NNO Knight and “Mr. P.C.” (the robotic car) will be present at St. Ann Carnival Sept.  9-11, the Annual Homecoming Spirit Parade on Sept. 19 and at the Homecoming Football game against Saginaw on Sept. 23.

In addition, the National Night Out Golf Tournament will be held on Sept. 17 at Bridlewood Golf Club in Flower Mound. Participation in the tournament is $80 per person, which includes lunch and the chance to will door prizes. Sponsorships are available for individuals and corporations.

“It brings communities and neighborhoods together,” Harr said. “If nothing else, you meet your neighbors. In today’s day and age things like this are vital. We have gotten lost in email and texting, and we need to get back to meeting and talking to people. In a social setting, people are more willing to connect.”

Staff Writer

The search for missing Coppell resident Hwanyeo Park ended on Sunday May 8 when a squad from numerous local police departments found his body in the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.

Park was a eighty-four years old at the time of his death and had been missing since May 3 for a total five days.

The death has been confirmed as an accidental drowning, as the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office could find no evidence that any wrongdoing had occured.

Park’s family reported him missing to the Coppell Police Department at 9:30 p.m. after three hours had passed since he usually returned to his Rockcrest home from his daily walk.

After a few days of searching with no results, a tip led several nearby police departments to believe Park’s body lay in a 600 mile area, where he was quickly found in the Elm Fork of th Trinity River.

It is unknown how Park, who had no known mental disabilities, ended up in the Trinity River so far from his home.

Crimestoppers: stopping crime one tip at a time. Crimestoppers: snitches get stitches. These are the two slogans dominating the news surrounding the Coppell Crime Commission’s recent program, Crimestoppers. Whether you believe the program will help clamp down on crime in Coppell or think that the policy of paying off tipsters is unethical, it is certainly evident that the program has made waves in the community. Advocating the collection, use, and rewarding for tips on criminal activities, the Crimestoppers program has lead to at least nine arrests in the past six months. So how exactly does it work?

The Crimestoppers program is run under the jurisdiction of the Coppell Crime Commission inc., a non-profit organization that is operated by private citizens in Coppell. The program, which is certified as a Texas Crime Stoppers Program by the Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council, was started after local business owners became more interested in assisting police in solving crime. Although the program is backed by the city and works closely with the Coppell Police Department, it is only governed by the state bi-laws of the Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council.

So if I report a tip I’ll get a reward?

Not exactly: all rewards (up to $1000) are at the discretion of the Coppell Crime Commission’s Board of Directors. Once a tip leads an arrest, the tip will be brought up for review at one of the group’s bi weekly meetings. A point system is used to determine the amount of the reward, which is paid for using donations to group.

So how can I report a tip? How do I know it’s anonymous?

The Coppell Crime Commission uses high-tech software that allows the informants to provide information to the Crimestoppers that is then passed on to the police. All phone calls, emails, and text messages are automatically encrypted before being received or sent out from the crime stoppers call center in Houston, TX.

“When you text in a tip or call in a tip, the program the Crimestoppers use totally encrypts your number” school officer Craig Parrish said. “This way the person at the call center working with you doesn’t know your number at all. Eventually the informant is given a code through which to contact us and we’re given a code to contact you; this way I only know you as, for example, subject XKJS.”

Only once a tip leads to an arrest can it be eligible for an award. Even then a payout can only be authorized at a committee meeting.

“A tip can lead to an arrest but it’s likely an informant will have to wait for the reward,” Parrish said. “Once the reward has been decided by the Board of Directors and the payment authorized, the Crimestoppers send the informant a code with which they can redeem their reward.”

“The program was brought to the attention of the school at the beginning of the year,” Assistant Principal Sean Bagely said. “It’s a program that allows communities to report on crime in their area. It’s not just focused on drugs; it deals with robbery, theft, vandalism, all crimes.”

Most of you students get to the parking lot from around 7:45 to 8:10. At 3:50 you hop in your car and wait in the line but what happens for those good 7 to 8 hours when your not there?

Being an afternoon duel credit student I have the exclusive privilege of seeing what goes on while most of you are still in classrooms learning. Today, as I walked outside to get to my car I noticed a large number of unusual things.

First off, Mr. Lopez, the parking lot security officer was no where to be found. As a matter of fact his golf cart was not in sight either.

Secondly, I noticed someone received one of the most demoralizing gifts of the parking lot ever; the tire boot. Having no previous experience with such a terrible object I had no idea how to get it off or what you had to do in order to get it off.

Finally, there was a fair amount of police activity out in the rows of cars. Some officers were working on the evasive driving behind the stadium and another was investigating a students car. I have no idea what the car looked like but the officer had a tape measure and a camera; I’m not sure what he was actually doing.

Other things that caught my attention was a large sign spelling PROM on the side of the tennis courts which isn’t unusual for this time of year. That idea was bound to be used sometime or another. Well, there you have it CHS students, if you have ever been curious about the school parking lot here are its mysteries. I hope you found this entertaining and educational; now you know to not put anything sketchy (illegal) substances in your car, avoid being booted, and park away from the stadium side because even police officers can crash while training.

Staff Writer

A lockbox containing at least $1,500 disappeared from Coppell Police Headquarters earlier this month. The money was reportedly to be used for undercover drug operations the CPD was conducting. The famed Texas Rangers will be investigating the crime. On October 4, the Texas Rangers started by examining the police station and interviewing various police offers. Coppell and the Department of  Safety have confirmed that the actual investigation has not yet begun. This is a very interesting case and is obviously quite a big deal to the Coppell Police Department-having enlisted the assistance of the Texas Rangers.

On October 11, another tidbit of information was announced that raised eyebrows. Deputy Police Chief Steve Thomas was “placed on administrative leave and escorted out of the building.” Many have speculated that this could be related to the Texas Rangers’ investigation of the missing funds. However, the city denied Thomas’ involvement with any theft and that his leave is for another reason.

Who would steal from a police department? Is it just a normal thief or is it connected to something bigger? Could it have been one of the police officers themselves or was it jsut misplaced after all? These are the questions the famed Texas Rangers will attempt to unwravel as soon as the investigation begins.